NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of each landing spot for Trendon Watford
![WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils shouts against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)]Duke](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F18bab5da3913119c5e222f04ecc09badcd04f64af5a306f2f839765f158a347c.jpg "WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils shouts against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)]Duke")
Duke Blue Devils
Pros
The most recent addition to Watford’s suitors, the Duke Blue Devils have the consensus number one recruiting class in the Class of 2019.
Watford would be the last piece to a dominant group in Durham, featuring three five-star recruits, in addition to two very highly-ranked four stars.
If Watford wants to win, Duke should be the easy choice. The Blue Devils are easily the favorite to win next year’s National Championship, and adding Watford would only help those odds.
Finally, the Blue Devils are the place to be if Watford wants a quick path to the 2020 NBA Draft, as Watford would be developed into a pro-style player in just one season.
Cons
Unlike the other four teams on this list, Watford would not be a starter on Duke, at least right now. Nor would he be a top scoring option. In fact, Watford would be the fifth or sixth-best scoring option for the Blue Devils.
Watford could easily become a forgotten man on Duke, as his place might not complement that of his fellow blue-chip recruits. Watford’s worst-case scenario would be a freshman year in which he doesn’t see adequate floor time, consequently transferring after just one year at Duke.
Next. Way-too-early preseason top-25 for 2019-20. dark
Prediction: This is pretty much a toss-up. I think Indiana and LSU can be removed from the list, but between Memphis, Alabama, and Duke, it’s anybodies bet. I think the right choice would be Alabama, and I think that would be the choice that Watford makes, staying home and joining Nate Oats in Tuscaloosa.